2 July 2004

The BBC and the link between al Qaeda and Iraq

The BBC’s reporters have stated as a fact that there "was no connection" and have described as "baffling" the repeated assertions from the Bush White House that there were connections. The BBC has also misrepresented the 9/11 Commission findings which described no proven connection between Iraq and 9/11 - which the BBC reported as no connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq.

The factual misreporting is compounded by a conceptual error - the error of thinking that the "secular" Saddam would have nothing to do with the "Islamic" Bin Laden. But Saddam had contacts or provided safe haven to many Islamic terrorists other than Al Qaeda, openly funded Hamas, and one only has to think about the following proposition to realise why this logic fails:

"There were no links between the NKVD and Nazi intelligence because Communists and Fascists hated each other." True? Obviously not - not only were there many intelligence links right from the start between the regimes but they culminated in the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939. Regimes or groups that may regard each other as enemies may nevertheless make temporary alliances against what they perceive as more immediate threats - action which is common in the criminal and political worlds. It is fatuous to keep asserting that "they hated each other so they couldn’t have collaborated".

The evidence demonstrating a relationship is mounting - the proper question now is: how extensive were the contacts and what were the consequences? In this week’s Weekly Standard, Hayes, who has written a book on "the connection" reviews again some of the evidence, particularly the evidence presented by Clinton’s officials - ie. evidence that can hardly be represented as dodgy because of coming from the Bush team.

In spring 1998, the Clinton Justice Department prepared an indictment of Osama bin Laden which included the paragraph:

"Al Qaeda reached an understanding with the government of Iraq that al Qaeda would not work against that government and that on particular projects, specifically including weapons development, al Qaeda would work cooperatively with the government of Iraq."

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/274fwxli.asp

Separate Hayes article exert:

"One detainee, Abdul Rahman al Shamari, described his duties as an IIS [Iraqi Intelligence Service] operative to terrorism expert Jonathan Schanzer. Al Shamari, who says he served the IIS from 1997 to 2002, told Schanzer of his role as a conduit for arms and funding between Iraqi Intelligence and the Islamic radicals working in a part of Iraq not controlled by Saddam. Al Shamari says that the IIS provided weapons -"mostly mortar rounds" - to Ansar. He recalled providing one payment of approximately $700,000 to Ansar and told Schanzer that such assistance came "every month or two months."

"A May 2002 report from the National Security Agency, which specializes in communications intercepts, also includes intelligence on IIS funding for Ansar. According to a summary in a memo from Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith to the Senate Intelligence Committee, the report "claimed that an Iraqi intelligence official, praising Ansar al Islam, provided it with $100,000 and agreed to continue to give assistance."

"Says Deputy Prime Minister Salih: ‘Saddam Hussein, a secular infidel to many jihadists, had no problem giving money to Hamas. This debate [about whether Saddam worked with al Qaeda] is stupid. The proof is there'."

The NY Times story from last Friday:

"Contacts between Iraqi intelligence agents and Osama bin Laden when he was in Sudan in the mid-1990s were part of a broad effort by Baghdad to work with organizations opposing the Saudi ruling family, according to a newly disclosed document obtained by the Americans in Iraq..."

"The new document, which appears to have circulated only since April, was provided to the New York Times several weeks ago..."

"A translation of the new Iraqi document was reviewed by a Pentagon working group in the spring..."

"The task force concluded that the document "appeared authentic," and that it "corroborates and expands on previous reporting" about contacts between Iraqi intelligence and Mr. bin Laden in Sudan, according to the task force's analysis..."

"The document, which asserts that Mr. bin Laden "was approached by our side," states that Mr. bin Laden previously "had some reservations about being labeled an Iraqi operative," but was now willing to meet in Sudan, and that "presidential approval" was granted to the Iraqi security service to proceed..."

"The document is of interest to American officials as a detailed, if limited, snapshot of communications between Iraqi intelligence and Mr. bin Laden, but this view ends with Mr. bin Laden's departure from Sudan. At that point, Iraqi intelligence officers began "seeking other channels through which to handle the relationship, in light of his current location," the document states."

"...The Iraqi document itself states that "co-operation between the two organizations should be allowed to develop freely through discussion and agreement."...

"The Iraqi document states that Mr. bin Laden's organization in Sudan was called "The Advice and Reform Commission." The Iraqis were cued to make their approach to Mr. bin Laden in 1994 after a Sudanese official visited Uday Hussein, the leader's son, as well as the director of Iraqi intelligence, and indicated that Mr. bin Laden was willing to meet in Sudan."

"A former director of operations for Iraqi intelligence Directorate 4 met with Mr. bin Laden on Feb. 19, 1995, the document states."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/25/politics/25TERR.html?position=&hp=&pagewanted=print&position=

The BBC.

On the day that this report appeared on the front of the NY Times, 25 June, the Today programme reported on "the most violent day in Iraq"; it had a discussion between Naughtie, Lord Morris and lawyers for detainees in Guantanomo about how terrible their detention was; then Hoon was interviewed on Iraq and persistently asked to admit that America had got everything wrong, and then asked to criticise America over Guantanomo; and there were reports on "the world’s unhealthiest food" and Rooney and the image of scousers.

There was no mention of the NY Times report.